Can a better government save us?

Watching television news these days makes it quite clear that we are entering the end phase of another election and the attack ads from either political party remind me more of opening season for hunting than honest, constructive discourse. Where is the intellectual uprightness of argument, the truthfulness of statements and sound bites? Quotes of opponents are parsed and spun in ways that often seem to say the opposite of what was intended. It seems like anything goes in order to score points with those who might cast a vote in support, never mind the fact that once someone is elected, previously made commitments are often conveniently forgotten or the opposing party is blamed for having made it impossible to achieve them.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that government is a God ordained institution. God in his great love for humankind and desire for us to act as his representatives, delegated to us the right to choose and form the government that we want. From a biblical perspective the realm of government primarily extends to secure Justice, Order and Protection of its constituents.

Whatever your personal view of government may be, the biblical evidence is clear that as a people, especially as followers of Christ, we are never to put our ultimate hope in government. Even the best and brightest politicians, or those who seem to stand for exactly what we want, believe the same way we do and who may be seen to have savior-like qualities to right all wrongs, will eventually fail or disappoint us. No human being or government can ultimately solve all our human problems!

Why is that? While good government can make a huge positive difference, the most elementary problems of society cannot be solved by government alone, because it is made up of human beings, who like the rest of us, are fallen, limited, sinful people, struggling with pride, greed and lust for power.

That’s why we need to be encouraged by God’s Kingdom values (Matthew 5-7) that indicate how changed, redeemed individuals, organized into changed communities will positively impact their surroundings by being truthful, honest, doing right, by caring for the needy, and being accountable to each other.

While we should not forget our civic right and duty to be involved in the political process and vote,

the best thing we can do to see a community, government, or even the whole world changed is to become individuals forming a community who have been saved and are being saved through faith in Jesus Christ, living their lives according to God’s Kingdom principles.

(Romans 10:10; Philippians 2:12)